September brings a long-held state literary tradition: the announcement of the Washington State Book Awards, which honors outstanding books written by Washington state authors. Formerly called the Governor’s Writers Awards, and now in its 55th year, the awards are presented by the Washington Center for the Book (a partnership of The Seattle Public Library and the Washington State Library). Here are the winners, for books published in 2020:
Fiction: “The Cold Millions” by Jess Walter, of Spokane
Biography/Memoir: “The Magical Language of Others” by E.J. Koh, of Seattle
Creative Nonfiction: “Think Black” by Clyde Ford, of Bellingham
General Nonfiction: “Alone Together: Love, Grief and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19” edited by Jennifer Haupt, of Bellevue
Poetry: “Take a Stand: Art Against Hate, a Raven Chronicles Anthology” edited by Phoebe Bosché and Anna Bálint, of Seattle, and Thomas Hubbard, of Kirkland
Young Adult Literature: “What I Carry” by Jennifer Longo, of Bainbridge Island
Books for Young Readers: “Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!” by Sarah Kapit, of Bellevue
Picture Book: “The Camping Trip” by Jennifer K. Mann, of Bainbridge Island
For a list of all of the year’s 43 nominees, click here.
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